Next Best Thing

Last weekend, I needed an activity that would get me out of the house for an hour or two, while keeping public contact to a minimum. So I set out to test the Wichita Public Library’s historic walking tours on the PocketSights app.

The Wichita Mom organization and United Way of the Plains are hosting a card drive for health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities. You can contribute by mailing drawings, homemade greeting cards, and letters of encouragement to United Way by April 30. They’ll take care of the rest.

With the excellent weather we’re having, aside from whatever that was on Sunday, there’s no doubt that the Sedgwick County Zoo would be packed if these were normal times. But since they aren’t, the zoo has taken to posting live videos on their Facebook page twice every weekday. I last visited the zoo in person in October, when there was a new litter of capybara pups. I was happy to see them again, even if only virtually. I also watched a red panda eat grapes and caught up with Paul the red river hog. There are lots of videos, both endearing and educational, up now, and more to look forward to every day.

While it's tough to get out and do much these days, KMUW's Jordan Kirtley brings us the "Next Best Thing"—what we hope will be a very limited series where we look at ways we can stay connected through *virtual* events and activities.